After he appears to be killed at the Battle of Towton and later revives, his life becomes overlaid with occult happenings. A disembodied head prognosticates, and the dead walk again. Various characters, including “knight prisoner” Thomas Malory and the royal alchemist, relate episodes from Arthurian lore, the Welsh Mabinogion, the Canterbury Tales, and more.
Characters from stories appear in the tangible world and historical figures surface in paranormal realms. Anthony’s mother claims descent from the fairy Melusine, and his sister, a widowed commoner, secretly marries King Edward. With so much strangeness around, Anthony has trouble discerning what is real.
History and fiction are interlaced throughout with dexterity and wit. Perhaps best appreciated by medieval enthusiasts, Irwin’s novel invites discussion on the value of stories and how they communicate our place in the world.
Robert Irwin's Wonders Will Never Cease is published by Arcade in the US this month; in the UK, the publisher is Dedalus. This review was submitted for the 10/15 issue of Booklist.
Other notes:
- The publisher describes it as "for fans of T. H. White, George R. R. Martin, and Philippa Gregory," who aren't usually authors you'd see compared with one another, so this gives you a sense of the book's potential cross-genre appeal. For those most familiar with Philippa Gregory's work, Anthony Woodville's sister, Elizabeth, is the "White Queen" from her novels.
- This is the author's first new novel in 17 years; he's best known for The Arabian Nightmare, an epic fantasy set in medieval Cairo.
- Although prior knowledge of the many myths and legends tucked within isn't necessary, I think that the more familiar readers are with these elements, the more they'll appreciate the novel.
There is also John M Ford's The Dragon Waiting, in which one event in earlier history has produced a pagan England in the time of the Wars of the Roses. Anthony Woodville ends up serving Richard III, so isn't executed, and the Princes in the Tower have to be disposed of, because Morton has turned them into vampires. A wonderful book, though it might be out of print. The author's family let his books go out of print after he sued, alas!
ReplyDeleteThat's died, not sued.
ReplyDeleteI may have read that one - the title and storyline are familiar - although it would have been a while, 25 years at least. I read mostly fantasy fiction in college and right after. It sounds about as off-kilter as this one does. What a shame his books are out of print.
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